LONDON - 13 February 2007 - 120 words
Radio
4 Book of the Week: The Lemon Tree
Radio 4's Book of the Week is The Lemon Tree, by Sandy Tolan -
the true story of a 40-year friendship between an Israeli woman
and a Palestinian man.
Dalia was born in Bulgaria during the Second World War. The 47,000
Jews of Bulgaria were saved from the Holocaust by the brave intervention
of the Vice President and King Boris. But, after the War, nearly
all emigrated to Israel. In late 1948, Dalia's family arrived
in Ramla and found a beautiful Arab house with a lemon tree in
the garden, which was vacant.
Fifteen years later, and after the 1967 Six Day War, Israel had
vastly expanded its territories and all the old boundaries had
changed. A 25-year-old Arab, Bashir, who had been forced to leave
Ramla with his family when he was six, paid a visit to the house
he'd grown up in a house with a lemon tree. Dalia welcomed
him in, and that was how they began their unlikely dialogue.
Produced by Matt Thompson, the Lemon Tree can be heard at 9.45-
10am repeated at 12.30-12.45am each day this week.
© Independent Catholic
News 2007
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